Heritage World Coin Auctions
ANA Signature Sale 3056 3 Aug 2017
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Ancients
Anonymous Silver Issues. Ca. 248-230 BC. AR didrachm (18mm, 6.61 gm, 12h). NGC Choice AU 5/5 - 3/5, Fine Style. Rome or mint in Campania or Apulia, ca. 235-230 BC. Laureate head of Apollo right, with long, loose hair / ROMA, free horse rearing to left. Crawford 26/1. Sydenham 27. RSC 37. RCV 28. Scarce. A superior example of this early issue, cleanly struck from dies of exemplary style in sound metal.
The first Roman silver coinage commenced circa 280 BC in the didrachm denomination, already widely used by the Greek city-states of Campania and southern Italy. The timing corresponded with a run of large, weighty cast bronze coins (aes grave) modeled on the Etruscan coinages of central and northern Italy. The designs of the silver didrachms seemed to change about every five years, or each time the Roman Senate conducted a Census. The first Roman didrachms bore the legend ROMANO ("of the Romans") while later issues shortened this to ROMA, which remained throughout the Republic. This attractive issue was struck from about 235 to 230 BC and features an attractive head of Apollo in a style equal to that of the finest Greek issues. It is likely the Romans, still relatively backwards artistically at this stage, employed Greek designers and die cutters to create the didrachm coinage for them. Whether the coins were struck in Rome herself or a nearby city, perhaps Beneventum in Campania or another city in Apulia, remains an open question.
HID02901242017
Estimate: 5000-6000 USD
Anonymous Silver Issues. Ca. 248-230 BC. AR didrachm (18mm, 6.61 gm, 12h). NGC Choice AU 5/5 - 3/5, Fine Style. Rome or mint in Campania or Apulia, ca. 235-230 BC. Laureate head of Apollo right, with long, loose hair / ROMA, free horse rearing to left. Crawford 26/1. Sydenham 27. RSC 37. RCV 28. Scarce. A superior example of this early issue, cleanly struck from dies of exemplary style in sound metal.
The first Roman silver coinage commenced circa 280 BC in the didrachm denomination, already widely used by the Greek city-states of Campania and southern Italy. The timing corresponded with a run of large, weighty cast bronze coins (aes grave) modeled on the Etruscan coinages of central and northern Italy. The designs of the silver didrachms seemed to change about every five years, or each time the Roman Senate conducted a Census. The first Roman didrachms bore the legend ROMANO ("of the Romans") while later issues shortened this to ROMA, which remained throughout the Republic. This attractive issue was struck from about 235 to 230 BC and features an attractive head of Apollo in a style equal to that of the finest Greek issues. It is likely the Romans, still relatively backwards artistically at this stage, employed Greek designers and die cutters to create the didrachm coinage for them. Whether the coins were struck in Rome herself or a nearby city, perhaps Beneventum in Campania or another city in Apulia, remains an open question.
HID02901242017
Estimate: 5000-6000 USD